Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1887-11-03
A Good Report.

The american Field, one of the best
known sporting journals of the country,
devotes two pages this week tomeeting
of the coursing club at this scity. The
paper sent a special reporter, Mr..
HOugh, to write up the meeting, and
the report is accurate and well gotten
up. Concerning the October meet
ing and the grounds, the future pros
pect of the interesting field sport, and
thesplans that probably will be adopted,
the american Field says:
A week of charming weather favored
the meeting, it being clear and bright
every day of the meeting although at
times the temperature was uncom-
fOrtably warm to the spectators and
oppressively warm to the dogs; howev-
er, taken as a whole it was all that
could be desired for the grandest of
sports.
The running was done on the famous
Cheyenne bottoms, the scene of last
years coursing, and it is doubtful
whether other grounds. having equal
advantages could be found in this coun-
try. They are situated in the center of
what will be in the near future, an i'm
menss territory in which cOursing will
flourish and gain i'll popularity as the
beauty and fascination of the sport be-
comes better known. The grounds are
very level, have ample scope for cours-
ing purposes, are convenient to rail-
road, the Missouri Pacific having a
branch road which runs by the grounds
thus insuring cheap and rapid trans
it, and are in a country which iS the
natural home of the jack rabbit. Kan
sas, with the support of other states
and territories, will be able to develop
the sport to degree second to none i'll
this country or out of it. The Uhl 81
Carney ranch has all the qualities he
cessary for a natural cOursing ground.
1t contains about eighty-fOur hundred
acres, fourteen hundred head of cattle,
sixty Norman mares and colts, large
barn three hundred by fOrty-eight feet,
the largest barn in the state, a horse
barn one hundred and fifty by thirty
feet, a large modern two story house,
seven wind mills and large water tanks
and twenty-five miles of good wire
fencing. To the Eastern mind the prop
OsitiOn to purchase this immense prop
erty for cOursing purposes would seem
to be the most idle of vagaries, but
Kansas is a land of great enterprises
and magnificent successes; and any
thing that has merit need not go beg
ging for support. The price asked for
this large property, including stock and
improvements. is $50, 900, although no
active measures have as yet been taken
towards its purchase, $4O, 900 worth of
stock can be placed in Great Bend
alone. The plan as considered is to
make a joint stock company composed
of spOrtsmen, placing the value of the
shares at $500 each and limiting the
number of shares which one man can
own, to ten. at the same time
the coursing would not ill
terfere with the stock raising, which
would be conducted as at present. The
bottoms also furnish the finest duck
and goose shooting in proper season.
A purchase of this kind will be Il neces-
sity at some time, as the country is be-
ing divided by fences more and more
and land is constantly increasing in
value; and nothing would insure the
permanency and growth of the associ-
alton as the ownership off its own
grounds and preserves. The club will
take measures to put the matter
in tangible form and there is no doubt
of its success